Leveling and safety device



Oct. 3, 1933. H. T. ANDERSON LEVELING AND SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Oct. 3, 1933.

H. r. ANDERSON LEVELING AND SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTOR W 1 W xzw- Patented Oct. 3, 1933 Harry T. Anderson, Butler, Pa. Application August 5, 1929. Serial No. 383,525

9 Claims.

This invention relates to brake beams for railway cars and particularly to leveling and safety devices therefor.

An object ofthe'invention is to provide for 6 maintaining the brake shoes of a railway car in such a position during operation that the surface of the shoes will engage the car wheels uniformly.

Another object of the invention is to provide for operating brake beams of railway cars in a predetermined plane;

A further object of the invention is to provide a brake safetyand leveling device that 'may be yieldingly secured to a support.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a leveling and safety devicethat shall be simple in construction, reliable in operation and easily manufactured and installed.

And a still further object of the inventionis to prevent brake beams and the like from falling upon the track rails.

Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the artfrom the following description taken in conjunction 2 panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial view in perspective of a brake beam and a leveling and safety device arranged and constructed in accordance with the invention. l Fig. 2 is a partial view in section showing a modified form of the invention. I V Fig. 3 is a partial view in section showing a leveling and safety device supported from two angle members.

Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view of the safety and leveling deviceQ Fig. 5 is a side view partly in section of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the safety and leveling device being clamped in position to its support.

Fig. 6 is a partial side view, partly in section, illustrating another modification of the device shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a partial view in section illustrating the safety and leveling device in its unclamped position in full lines; and in its clamped position in broken lines.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a brake beam, designated generally by the reference character 10, is shownthat comprises a compression member 11, a tension member 12, a-strut 13, and brake heads 14 and 15. The brake heads 14 and 15 are provided with the usual brake shoes 16.

The brake heads 14 and 15 may be secured to the ends of the compression member in any manwith the accomner well known inJthe art. As shown, the tension member 12 may pass through openings in the brake blocks and the proper tension applied by means of nuts 17 threaded on the ends there- 'of, so that the beam may be stiff and rigid. The

strut 13 is provided with a bearing 18 for receiving a pin or bolt disposed to secure a forked member (not shown), known as a brake lever fulcrum. A brake lever (not shown) may be connected to the forked member for effecting either the application or the release of the brakes.

The brake beam 10 may be suspended from the usual truck frame (not shown) of the railway car (not shown) by means of brake hangers or links 19 of 'U-shape.

In railway practise it is always desirable that the brake beam 10 always remain in such a position that the top of the brake shoes 16 will not ride or drag upon the car wheels when the brakes are released, and that the surface of the brake shoes, when the brakes are applied, will wear uniformly. It is also desirable, to provide some means or safety device for preventing the brake beam 10 from falling upon the track rails in the event that one or both of the brake hangers or links 19 should break.

In'order to insure that the tops of brake shoes 16 will not ride or drag upon the wheels, when the brakes are released and also to insure that the surface of the brake shoes will wear evenly when the brakes areapplied; and further, to prevent the brake beam from falling upon the track rails if the brake hangers or links 19 should break, brake beam leveling and safety devices 20 are provided. The leveling and safety devices are resiliently or yieldingly mounted upon a transverse member or channel 21, commonly known as a spring plank. -In accordance with common practise, the spring plank is mounted transverse- 1 1y of the truck frame (not shown) and disposed between the truck wheels.

Since the leveling and safety devices 20 are substantially similar in construction, one only will be described in detail.

The brake beam leveling and safety device may be made from a blank strip of metal, preferably steel, from which two tongues 22 may be punched and bent at substantially right angles to the body of the blank. Theupper ends of the tongues 22 may be so bent as to provide flanges 23. The portion of the blank between the tongues 22 'may-be. arched upwardly as indicated at 24, in

orderrthat the leveling and safety devices will grip or be firmlysecured to the spring plank. The ends of the devices 20 may be bent upwardly ho to such an extent that they will either be in contact with the tension member 12 0f the brake beam, or in close proximity thereto, but spaced from the compression member 11. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, one end of each of the devices is shown pressing upwardly against the tension member 12, thereby insuring that the brake beam will be held in a horizontal position in operation.

The ends of the safety devicesextendingnn opposite directions from the tongues 22 operate as cantilever beams because they are anchored to the clamped portion of the safety device whiclfi. comprises the tongues and the archedportion of... the blank constituting the safety device' the ends" of the device being disposed to Summit the-brake-.- beam in the event that the brake beam hangers or links 19 should break. Theothe'rends of-=the* safety devices are disposed to engage, orsto=berin close proximity to, the tension member of another brake beam 101(see Fig; 4).. I The safety 1 device 20 may be .secured;:to: the spring plank: 21 by placingiit beneath .the plank v as shown in full lines iii-Fig: Hand :the ends-.there- I of pressed-upwardly,- thereby. forcingethe flanges 23 "into locking engagement. with the: top .oflthe' side walls of the springplankilseethebrokeniline positionin-Fi gfln'. I I

g In' ordento prevent the safety devices: from moving longitudinally of the spring plank,..the arched portion 24 may be :provi'deduwith upsets or lugs 25 and 26; The lugs are :disposed to regi'sterJwitlr apertures inthe bottom of f the spring plank. As-an-alternative; or "modification, the spring plank may be provided" withia-lug 'or:' struck out member 27 disposed'to register with" an' opening 'or aperture in the arched -por-tion 24- of the safety device. (See Fig. 6.)

In: Fig. 2 of Y the drawings, another modified form= of the invention is shown in which the side walls of the spring" planksare provided 1 with notches 28 with which the=flanges (23") ofthe tongues 22- may register, thereby preventingmovement of "the safety devices -20'--longitudinallyof the s'pringplank -2l.

The tongues 22 and the flanges 23-} taken in conjunction with the arched portion 24 of the leveling and safety--dvices20' may beconsidered functionally as --'a clamp by means of which the devices 2( l'-are yieldingly or resil'iently mounted upon or'secured" to the spring plankor support;

In Fig. 3 of 'the drawings, a modi'fled'formof support for the safety devices 20 i's-shown'. The I support "therershown' comprises two angle mem= bers 29 and 30 so arrangedthat' the flanges 23-of the tongues-22'of the-safety devices 20snap'over the topedge of the verticallydisposed flanges 31' and 32 ofthe angle members when'the safety devices are attached to the supports in their'respective-operative positions.

In order to prevent movement of 'th'e devices 20 longitudinally of the'angle members-'ZQ-and 3'0, bolts 33 are provided; Thebolts 33pass through' the tongues 23 and the vertical flanges 31"and32 of the angle'members. -Thebolt's'may-be locked in place by means of nuts threaded on the'ends of the bolts or by other equivalent means well known in the'art.

In normaloperation the ends of the safety devices 20' function-to maintain 'the' associated brake beams 10in a-li'orizontal position; as shown in the drawings; or in any predetermined position depending upon'the'type' of brake beam. In the;

event thatthubrak'e beam h'angers or links 19 I should break, the compression member 11 of the brake beam will fall upon and be supported by the resilient ends of the safety devices 20, thereby preventing the brake beam from falling upon the track rails.

By the invention, a brake-beam leveling and safety device is provided that is simple in construction, reliable in operation and easily manufactured and installed; a

While several modificationsof the...b'rake-beam leveling and safety device have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the modifications shown are merely illustrations of the invention. and. not limitations. It is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed. onthe-invention as are imposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

What-I claim"as"new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. -In a leveling and safety device for brakebeams, incombination arspring plank; a resilient member. having?. its. opposite'. ends. disposed: to: maintain a brake-beam in its normalaoperatingw position" and" a"; yieldable clamping .imember. ins tegral withfsadd:resilient. membenan'd' forrreleas'aablyisecuring it'to saiditspringsplankx.

21'; In". a leveling? and: safety: device; for: brake beams, in combination, a spring plank, a resilient-i. .membernhavingr itsrioppositie ends; disposed. to maintainf'abrake+heam in'its normal .operatingt-sv position, a yieldable clamping;member-.rintegral" with saidmesilient memberdisposedtosecure'isaid resilientrmemberito;said:spring plank,".andimeans disposed to prevent-relative :movement-xbetweenr the resilient amemberiand ithe spring plank.

3.:Ii'1 combination; aspringmlank, anda-b'rakebeamsafe'tyand leveling:memberrhavingrazclampr 1 portion intermediate-the ends thereof 'andzintee" gral therewith disposed? to: SIIBPIJ'OVBI. 2 opposite. sides :of thezspringplank, .when imountedz'in place on said plank.

4;? A-: brake-beam safety? and leveling imember havingzai'resilient clamp between'theiendslthere-t? of andt'integraliitherewith;. Y c

5. A brake-beam safetyz'memberthavingxrupa wardly ourved'end' portions, aicunved' portionrbee tween saidfiendriportionsthavinga radius of 'curvasture" opposite to. thataof :therendmortions' andzas clamp integral with said oppositely cum/fed portion:

6. A brake-beam safetyedevicelcomprisingitwo oppositelydisposed-cantilever beamsandra yield-"- able iclamp: between: adjacentends :of: the beams joining said beams as an integral structures: said: clamp; beingizadapted' to 'be sprungsinto place.

'7. A brake-beam safety deviceacomprisingitwo: oppositely disposed cantilever beams;*and ayield iable 5018,2111]? integrallysjoihedto "adjacent 'endsrofzi saidi'beamst 8. A brake-beam safety device comprising an: elongated resilient"? member. having a1; resilientl clamp'iformed by flangeditongue portionsostmckr. out at substantially right angles;toatheaplane'aot.

saidcmember;

9; iA'cbrake-beami' safety device :adaptedtoabe remnvably: mounted upon a; supportacomprising: two oppositely disposed cantilever beamspaeyield able aclamp between? adjacent ends .ofrssaidibeamsx and? integral therewith; and: meanssdisposed. 00

cooperate with: said. clamp'an'dbeam forprevent-'1 ing movement of 'theisafety: device longitudinallyof the support:- I

ANDERSON." 

